Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-22
FOREIGN TOPICS.
DISTRESSING RUMOR OF STAN
LEY'S DEATH.
Warlike Movements at Me,z-Fight-
ing in Egypt-French and
Irish Affairs.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE RECoRD-UHloN.l
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO THE REooRD-UNloS.l
SAD NEWS.
Unconfirmed Report of the Death of Stan
tho

UnconfirmeG Report of the Death of Stan
ley, the Explorer.
LONDON, July 21st.-A dispatch from ST.
thomas, West Africa, says the West African
Company has received a report that Henry NJ
Stanley, the African explorer, had been shot
dead by the natives with whom his expedition
was fighting in order to obtain supplies.
Another account says that the steamer on
which Stanley was proceeding to the relief of
i.min Bey was sunk, and that the explorer was
drowned. These reports of Stanley's death
emanate from missionary at Matadi who re-
eeived them from native from the up country
No direct message has been received from the
expedition.
NOT BELIEVED IN LONDON.
LONDON. July 2lst.-The rumor regarding the
death of II. NJ. Stanley is utterly discredited
here. The latest authentic news from him was
from Aruwimi, and was sent under date of June
I'd. 1t would be impossible for native to reach
Matadai and Aruwimi alone. 1t is a thousand
miles, and through the toughest country.
DOUBTFUL CHARACTER OF THE NEWS
lCopyrgA, 1887, by tie California Associated Pres
New YORK, July 21st-iSpecial THE reported
death of Stanley has created a furry of excite
me ment here, here, although the news is questioned
Inc Telegram prints an account of Stanley's
career, but expresses no opinion concerning the
accuracy about his death.
The Commercial AdUeTtiser says THE news
Will be received with caution and d good deal
of doubt. Apart from the confused character
OF the reports, the lying propensity of the ma
tive African must be considered, to say nothing
of the possibilities OF an honest mistake n
must not be forgotten how often the natives
came TO the coast and reported Livingstone's
death, sometimes pretending to have been
eye-witnesses of his fate. Stanley has been
more than once reported dead and il was
once the theory of a prominent newspaper that
some other man was masquerading in his per
sonallty and sending out Congo dispatches for
speculative purposes in his name while he
slept his last sleep in African soil. The proba-
bility is that the present report is false At the
same time the risks of African travel are not
small, and there would be no occasion tor sur
prise if it should prove that Stanley has fallen
victim at last TO his enthusiasm.
THE NEW YORK "sUN's' VIEWS.
Copyright, 1857, by tie California 1ssociatea Press
New YORK, July 21st-TSpecial The sun
says concerning the report of Stanley's death :
If he was killed it was undoubtedly near the
mouth OF Arwuhim river, the point where
Stanley had his biggest fight with the natives
during his first journey down the river. The
natives were long disposed to be unfriendly and
early last year number of their villages were
burned ana the natives were driven into the
woods on account of their attack upon Captain
Dean, one of the Congo State Agents The
natives at the mouth of the Arwuhim were par
tcularly hostile, and the large village of Ba-
rumba was burned TO the ground
Stanleys party was supposed TO be well pre-
pared for any hostile demonstration the natives
might make. 1t included sixty picked Egyptian
soldiers, armed with the best rifles and the
Max i'm repeating gun, capable of firing several
hundred shots per minute. Stanley did not in
tend to use force unless il was absolutely neces
sary to carry out the purposes of his mission
There was not a particle of danger that he would
encounter opposition from the natives before he
reached Arwuhim river, which is about l. l50
miles up the Congo, and it was believed that
his chances were good for getting through the
country without any opposition. All the Arabs
above that point had recently been hostile
toward the whites, but their leader, Tippu Tib,
whom Stanley had brought with him fIom Fan
Zibar, was on the best of terms with the whites
and no doubt it was felt that he would suppress
the hostility that had broken out in his absence
Matadi, where Stanley is reported drowned, is
80 miles from Congo II is at the head of navi-
CATION on the lower Congo, and is at least COO
miles from Bolobett. the place to which Stanley
was known weeks ago TO have safely attained.
The news in coming down the river necessarily
passed through several white stations, and was
heard by good many white men in addition to
the missionary at Matadi If there is any truth
III the report the present runors cannot fail to
be soon corroboTated by additional news The
last two reports received from Stanley were of a
very encouraging nature. At Stanley Pool and
above that point, as far as Bolobo, he had a very
trying time on account of the scarcity of food.
His force of nearly 500 men lived some weeks
chlefly on hlppOpotamuS meat, killing the ami
mails in the congo as they went on the journey
TWO weeks ago; However letter from the eX-
plorer was published saying that he had passed
Bolobo, and that he expected to find ample
loo supplies beyond that point.
THE TRIBUNE" DOESN'T BELIEVE THE STORY.
Copyrgd, 1887, by he California Associdted Pres.
New YORK, July 22d.-TSpeciai The Tribune
thlnks the rumors of Stanley's death clearly uu-
worthy of credence. Matadi is at least ! 600
miles from the stations reached by Stanley by
the middle of May, and it is grossly improbable
that natives should have carried the news of his
death so quickly TO missionaries 100 miles from
the mouth of the Congo Probably some of the
earlier incidents of the Congo journey have
been exaggerated in passing from mouth to
mouth among the natives and given rise to the
rumors Of disaster and death